Opening New Doors

Established 108 years ago as Madison’s first community center, Neighborhood House’s current building has outlived its useful life, necessitating a redevelopment to meet growing contemporary needs.

The existing 4,000 square foot space is inadequate for the expanding number of programs and participants, highlighting the urgency for this project. Currently, Neighborhood House (NHCC) offers programs for: youth age zero through eighteen, adults with intellectual disabilities, older adults, neighborhood residents, low-income families, adults and more. Current social services provide wraparound support in the form of food security, legal assistance, housing and resource navigation, technology assistance, clothes, and transportation.

The redevelopment of the community center will transform Neighborhood House from its current 4,000 square feet into a 16,000-square-foot facility. This fourfold expansion will accommodate a variety of new and enhanced amenities designed to meet the evolving needs of our community.

Project Mission

The mission for Neighborhood House’s Opening New Doors Redevelopment Project is to honor the legacy of Madison’s first and oldest community center by expanding Neighborhood House into a larger, state-of-the-art facility in a new building with affordable housing units. An expanded Neighborhood House will offer comprehensive services and programs that empower individuals, strengthen families, and build a resilient community.

Project Vision

The long term  vision of Opening New Doors is to be a cornerstone of community development and well-being in Madison, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to learn, grow, and thrive.

Project Goals

Key objectives of the redevelopment include:

    • Increase physical space to over 16,000 square feet (over 4x)
    • Create enhanced facilities to offer specialized programming for a variety of populations, including residents of on-site affordable housing units in new building
    • Improved community services through more functional spaces
    • Increased impact by tripling numbers of families served to 18,000

The project will include:

Full-Size Gym/Event Space: A modern, fully-equipped gymnasium to support physical fitness, sports activities, and community events.

Upgraded Pantry: An expanded and upgraded pantry to better serve the nutritional needs of our community members.

Recreation and Event Spaces: Dedicated spaces for recreational activities and social gatherings and events, promoting a sense of community and belonging.

Multipurpose Rooms: Flexible spaces that can be used for meetings, workshops, classes, youth and adults programs and other community functions.

Commercial Kitchen: A state-of-the-art kitchen to support culinary programs, community meals, and local food initiatives.

Yoga/Dance/Fitness Studio: A studio space for yoga, dance, and other wellness activities

Affordable Housing Component – Additionally, Neighborhood House has partnered with The Alexander Company through a public proposal process to build four stories of mixed-income, affordable housing above the redeveloped community center. Neighborhood House. Neighborhood House and The Alexander Company have formed an LLC, Neighborhood House Ventures LLC, with NHCC as 24% owner and TAC as 76% owner. The redevelopment will include sixty units of housing. Fifty-one units will be affordable units at 30% – 80% Average